It was a good thing the university's spring break didn't fall any later than it did, Christian mused. Otherwise, Eric might well have hurt himself, trying so very hard to convince everyone, including himself, that he wasn't going crazy wanting to see Jacinth.

Not that anyone was, in fact, convinced, and that included Lenore out in BC, from what Christian had seen when he'd peeked over Eric's shoulder one evening.

So why wasn't he overly surprised that, now they were on the road and barely fifteen minutes from Margaret's house, Eric was having sudden doubts about whether he should be here?

“She wants to see you,” Christian repeated patiently. “She wants you to see Jacinth. Stop worrying.”

“She's a kitsune. She doesn't need me around.”

“No, but she wants you around. Jacinth is hers, and the way kitsune work, you don't have much responsibility. Fine, but she's obviously decided that you're going to be part of Jacinth's life anyway.”

“I guess,” Eric said, with a total lack of conviction.

“If she didn't want you around, I'm sure she would've found a way to keep us from visiting,” Mark said dryly, from his usual spot in the back. “Manipulative little sneak that she is.”

“She is not!”

“Right, like she's been so up-front and honest with everyone all along. She does appear to be trying her best to make sure you're safe and happy, I'll give her that much, but she's still a master of 'arranging' matters so things fall the way she wants. I'd be a lot happier with her if her methods were a bit more straightforward.”

“That's because lamias and kitsune are distinctly different,” Christian pointed out. “You've got a bit of a species tendencies clash going on there.”

“I'm aware of that.”

“What if she just wanted me away, so I wouldn't be underfoot?” Eric asked.

“Oh, stop it,” Mark said, exasperation creeping into his voice. “You know very well she wanted no such thing. Even I can see that's not what she intended. Give it a break, already. We'll be there in a few minutes, and no you are not going to turn around and head for home now if you value your hide, and once we get there you'll see.”

Eric sighed. “I guess.”

The exchange repeated itself, with minor variations, three more times before they pulled in the driveway at Margaret's house.

Bags were gathered quickly, since Christian had been busy applying his refined bigger-inside-than-outside spell to anything on which it might conceivably be useful, and they headed inside via the kitchen door.

“H'lo?” Eric called, and Margaret answered, “In the back!”

They left boots, jackets, and belongings there, and tracked Margaret and Jade to the sunny sitting room.

There was one obvious change: a playpen had been set up, near the windows where the sunlight could warm it and its inhabitant. Or rather, inhabitants, at present: Jade lay on her side, fox-form, in the nest of blankets within, while a tiny body nursed hungrily, a single miniature white-tipped tail jerking spasmodically. Not red: the little one had a more golden hue, except for the darker fur along her spine and down over her shoulders, making a sort of cross.

Margaret smiled in welcome, without laying aside her crocheting—she'd chosen a warm medley of greens and golds and browns, but Chris wasn't sure what she was making from it. “You made good time, it's earlier than I expected you.”

“Imagine that,” Mark muttered, but left it at that.

“Not much traffic,” Eric said distractedly, his attention on the playpen and the two kitsune.

“Oh, go see her, Eric, she's not going to bite you,” Margaret scolded.

“Be glad you haven't been living with him,” Christian said, but couldn't help smiling as Eric perched on the windowsill and ran a hand gently over Jade's head; she nuzzled against his hand affectionately. “Maybe we should...?”

Margaret regarded her grandson for a moment. “Yes, I think that might be a good idea. Come join me for a hot drink, and maybe some lunch?”

“Sounds good to me,” Christian said cheerfully, and Mark shrugged, so they adjourned to the kitchen to allow Eric and Jade a little privacy.

“Soup and sandwiches?” Margaret suggested, checking a cupboard. “Nothing homemade, I’m afraid, but at least it willl be quick.”

“Always good.”

“Tomato, chicken noodle, chicken rice, or cream of chicken? Can you tell Jade is fond of chicken?”

They decided on chicken rice. Christian noted the way Margaret moved, still somewhat stiffly; while he left her to do the soup, he collected ingredients for sandwiches himself and brought everything to the table. Mark helped put them together, without comment.

Christian picked up on Eric's proximity, and turned to look behind him.

Eric surveyed the activity from the doorway, and rolled his eyes. “Gran, you don't need to be up and around doing stuff for us.”

“I'm much healthier than I was,” Margaret retorted. “And I'm more likely to stay that way if I keep active. A great-grandmother I may be, three times over, but I'm not dead yet.”

Jade slipped past Eric, now in her human form. Cradled against her, dark against the white silk, was the diminutive fluffy ball they'd seen in the playpen. “This is Jacinth,” she told Christian and Mark, her voice full of quiet pride.

Christian abandoned sandwiches in favour of curiosity.

Jacinth was tiny; he could have held her in his cupped hands. She lacked the vivid black and white markings of an adult fox, but her tawny and dark fur suggested that she’d be striking when she grew up. The wide-open eyes that regarded him were the same green as Jade's, and rather disconcertingly alert. How developed were newborn kitsune kits, anyway?

“Christian,” Jade told her kit, and beckoned Mark over. “Mark.”

Those green eyes moved to Mark, briefly, then went to Eric, not far away.

Jade smiled, and handed Jacinth to Eric; Eric accepted her with great care, and settled her against his chest with one arm under her and his other hand stroking her gently.

That's gotta be a weird feeling, that this little tiny fluffball is actually your daughter.

Well, no, maybe not if you grew up around a kitsune and were used to her being her in either form.

Aside from just having a daughter at all, that is.

“Sit, eat,” Margaret commanded. “Jacinth isn't going anywhere, but if I know you, Eric, you skipped breakfast.”

“He did,” Mark confirmed, returning to the table. Christian snuck a look at him, but couldn't decide what Mark was feeling, under that carefully neutral mask. “We tried, but...” He shrugged.

Everyone got arranged around the table, Eric with Jacinth nestled asleep in a small warm blanket on his lap, one arm still curved around her protectively.

“Jade, did you tell Eric about your other surprise yet?” Margaret asked.

“Oh! No, I completely forgot, I was only thinking about Jacinth.” Jade sat up straighter in her chair, and changed to the anthropomorphic fox shape Christian had seen Pearl in occasionally but never Jade. Multiple brushy tails fanned out behind her.

Christian blinked, trying to figure out the point of this; Eric caught it first.

“Five tails?”

Jade nodded, gave them all a fox-grin that showed a muzzle full of sharp teeth, and shifted back to her human form, her expression pleased. “I fell asleep once I knew you were safe and Jacinth had nursed, I was exhausted. Margaret noticed the next day that I had one more tail. I asked Satin when she visited to see Jacinth—she’s a six-tail from my clan. They’re all stopping by to see her, but she was first. Satin thinks it was because of Jacinth.”

“That's wonderful!”

“Definitely,” Christian agreed.

Mark even went so far as to nod and say, “Congratulations,” in a tone that sounded completely sincere.

“I'm a five-tails and I have Jacinth and Eric is safe and has new friends,” Jade said in satisfaction. “Everything worked out just right.”

* * *

Saying goodbye was hard.

Jade stretched up to kiss Eric gently. “Stop looking like that. You are not moving back up here. But you can come visit lots.”

Eric hugged her tight. “I'll be here as often as I can. Mark even suggested that you could come visit, which has got to be a historic first, since he won’t let Pearl past the porch.”

“Maybe we’ll take him up on that.” Jade retrieved Jacinth from Christian, gave the witch a kiss on his cheek, and retired in the direction of the sitting room.

Margaret distributed hugs, wished them a good trip home, and only moments later, they were on their way.

“Feel better now?” Christian asked Eric.

Eric didn't answer immediately.

“Yes,” he said finally, and flashed Christian a grin. “God, she's a cute little thing. Just wait 'til she's old enough to start shapeshifting. Then life is really going to get interesting.”

“Maybe I'll just stay home next time,” Mark muttered.

“Been meaning to ask,” Christian said, “but there's always been something else to do. Do kitsune tails represent social status or power?”

“Both,” Eric said. “Don't ask me to explain how, but Jade's status just went up, and the amount of power she can use went up with it. Sort of like going up a level in a game. But I haven't the foggiest idea how it works.”

“Typical kitsune weirdness,” Mark sighed.

“Definitely odd,” Christian agreed. “Huh. Oh well. I'm just glad she's happy and you're happy and things are more or less okay with the world. I miss Sid, though, even knowing Val and Sara are spoiling him rotten. It'll be good to get home.”